ABSTRACT
It is increasingly well understood that both the conceptualisation and practice of regionalism go beyond the hold of geographical connections. Katzenstein’s (2005, 12) definition of regions exemplifies this point, in that he privileges ‘not simply physical constants’ but ‘express[ing] changing human practices’. Such an expanded mental map allows us to look at regionalism beyond the traditional perspectives. This stretching of boundaries is especially applicable in terms of the nature of inter-regionalism, namely arrangement between two regionalisms, either contractual or de facto. The traditional means of viewing inter-regionalism has been in terms of institutional arrangements between two regional bodies (EU–MERCOSUR relations or the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, for example). Yet this familiar model needs to be supplemented by analyses of states that are positioned as regional hubs.
